Obituaries May 21, 2014

Harold “Benny” Benjamin Jr., 53, of Holland died on May 12, 2014, at home, with his loving family by his side. He is finally at peace after a long, courageous, battle with cancer.

He was born on December 17, 1960, in Newport, a son of Harold Benjamin Sr., and the late Bettie (Taylor) Benjamin.

He was a loving husband of Cara (Guillette) Benjamin. They were wed on January 28, 1989.

He was also an amazing father, son, brother, uncle, friend, and acquaintance to anyone he met.

He took great pride in his work for the town of Derby during the winter, working in road maintenance, and the Derby Center Cemetery during the summer. He will be laid to rest in the same cemetery he worked. He began working there with his father, in high school, where he took gratification in its appearance, and had great respect for the deceased and their families.

When he wasn’t working hard, Mr. Benjamin enjoyed hunting, four-wheeling, snowmobiling, playing poker, cooking, gardening, puttering around the house, going to camp on Long Pond, and most of all, spending precious time with his family and friends.

His son was the pride and joy of his life. He was very proud of every accomplishment and achievement he made.

He is survived by his wife Cara; his son Harold “Ben” Benjamin III and his girlfriend, Desiree Charron; his father Harold Sr.; his sisters: Vicki Martin and her husband, Bill, and their son, Tim, Katie Morissette and her husband, Harvey, and her son, Jordan, Toni Benjamin and her fiancé, David Guillette, and Tara Benjamin and her fiancé, Kenny Greene; his loving father- and mother-in-law, Louis Sr. and Gail Guillette; his brothers-in-law: Alan and his wife, Christina Guillette, Louis Jr. and his wife, Tracy Guillette, Jerry and his wife, Madonna Guillette, and Ted and his wife, Amy Guillette; and by all of his aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces and nephews, who brought him great joy.

He was predeceased by his mother Bettie Benjamin; his grandparents: Donald and Gwen Benjamin, Ralph and Mable Taylor, Perry and Phostine Austin, and John and Lucille Guillette; his sister Edie Benjamin; and by his nephews: Benjamin Martin and David Benjamin.

His entire family will miss him greatly, and are incredibly proud of his outlook on life, even after being diagnosed with cancer. He never gave up, and Cara never gave up on him. Though he has now left us, his indomitable spirit still lives. Benny beat his cancer.

In lieu of flowers, people may donate to the Mary Wright Halo Foundation, 1071 Upper Quarry Road, Newport, Vermont 05855, in his memory.

Funeral services were held on May 16, in Newport. Interment will take place at a later date in Derby Center Cemetery.

Reynold Aurelle Brown of Ivoryton, Connecticut, died peacefully on Tuesday, May 13, 2014, at home.

He will be dearly missed by all.

He was born in Fort Kent, Maine, on October 28, 1934.

He was an avid fisherman and pilot. He loved to fly with his friends from the Chester Airport in Connecticut. He was also a former member of the Essex Sportsman Club and the former owner of Lower Valley Form Service-Middlesex Concrete Construction. He marveled at new technology and leaves behind his iPad instructor and little buddy, Dylan Brown, his grandson. He loved the outdoors and previously enjoyed his home, which he built himself in Vermont, where he could enjoy the mountains and take care of his little farm and sugar grove.

He was baptized as one of Jehovah’s Witnesses and had full confidence in the resurrection hope.

He is survived by his wife of 63 years, Alma Elizabeth (Donnelly) Brown; his brother Earl William “Brownie” Brown of Ivoryton; his son William Earl Brown and his wife, Patricia Brown, of Clinton, Connecticut; his son Michael Harry Brown of Ivoryton; his daughters: Lynn Marie (Brown) Beal of Glover, Linda Lee (Brown) Aldrich and her husband, Stephen, of Brownington, Nancy Brown-Denny and her husband, William, of Moodus, Connecticut; along with nieces, nephews, 12 grandchildren, ten great-grandchildren and one great-great-grandson, all of whom he loved dearly.

He was predeceased by his father William Earl Brown; his mother Leda Marie (Therrieault), Brown; his brother Harry Brown of Houlton, Maine; his sister Patricia Marie Brewer of Mars Hill, Maine; and by his son-in law Rodney Victor Beal of Glover.

Funeral services will be privately held by the family.

To share a memory of Mr. Brown, or to send a condolence to his family, please visit www.rwwfh.com.

Merle H. Carlson

Merle H. Carlson, 77, of Holland died on May 7, 2014, in Holland.

She was born on December 8, 1936, in Bridgeport, Connecticut, to Oscar and Helen (Seltsam) Carlson.

Merle attended high school in Bridgeport, and was a drummer in the high school band. She graduated from the University of Connecticut with a B.S. in wildlife management and she attended Antioch New England Graduate School in Keene, New Hampshire. She was very active in the Outing Club as an undergraduate in college.

She enjoyed the outdoors and was passionate about the environment. She loved teaching others about nature. She also enjoyed hiking, fishing, skiing, canoeing, camping, and gardening.

She raised Golden Retrievers for over 20 years and she loved horses. She loved to sing in the church choir, square dance and listen to bluegrass music.

She is survived by her daughter Tamia Rudnicky and her husband, James, of Williamsburg, Virginia; her grandchildren: Christopher and Meaghan Rudnicky, both of Virginia; her sisters: Lois Martin and Barbara Nelson, both of Connecticut; and by her companion Morton Gellman of Holland.

Funeral services were held on May 20, in Derby. Interment followed in Mead Hill Cemetery in Holland.

Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the National Parks Conservation Association, 777 6th Street NW, Suite 700, Washington, D.C. 20001 or online at http://www.npca.org.

She was born in April of 1944, in the home owned by her Aunt Clara, a fact she was very proud of her entire life. She spent her childhood years growing up first in Greensboro, and later in South Albany. During those years, she attended elementary school in Greensboro Bend, and also the Bailey Hazen School in Greensboro. In 1962, she graduated from Craftsbury Academy.

After graduation, she went on to enjoy a long and fulfilling life with family, friends and a great deal of travel.

She began her working career at National Life in Montpelier for a brief time before marrying Carl Chaffee on April 26, 1963, in Albany. While they raised their three children in Albany, Ms. Chaffee worked for 34 years at Bogner of America before her retirement in 2009.

She was well known as a wonderful cake maker and a gifted cake decorator. Her other hobbies and talents included knitting, crafts and gardening. She also had the itch to travel. She had many wonderful trips including vacations to Ireland, Costa Rica, where she first found her love of zip lining, Alaska, and many places throughout the United States. In the summer of 2012, she spent nearly five weeks on a cross-country road trip with friends.

Ms. Chaffee was also committed to helping others. Over the years, she donated many gallons of blood. She was also a tireless supporter of the Lamoille Area Cancer Network for ten years, and was later a recipient of their kind support.

She is survived by her husband of 51 years, Carl Chaffee of Albany; her sons: Keith Chaffee of Los Angeles, California, and Karl and Amber Chaffee of Morgan; her daughter Kelly, and Andrew Swett, of Brownington; three grandchildren: Hilary, McKenna and Kaden of Brownington; her sisters: Nancy, and Bob Ferland, of Barre, Sherry, and John Dudley, of Waterbury, and Rachel MacNeal of Barton; her brother Rod, and Darlene Sweeney, of Craftsbury; as well as by many cousins and friends.

She was predeceased by her parents, Dolphis and Avis Sweeney, in 1987; and by her brother Ronald Sweeney in 2002.

In her final months, she showed everyone who was blessed to be around her the unique ability to accept death with a great sense of peace and dignity, while never giving up on life.

A celebration of life for Ms. Chaffee will be held at the Albany Community School on Sunday, May 25, at 2 p.m.

She was born on August 25, 1948, in Bath, Maine, to Fred and Marjorie (Quinn) Soule.

On June 22, 1968, she married Stuart W. Hale Sr., who survives her.

She graduated from Morse High School in Bath.

While a student at Johnson State College, she was awarded the Truman Scholarship, which enabled her to pursue her master’s degree in social work at Smith College in North Hampton, Massachusetts.

She started as a social worker at Casey Family Services in Waterbury, and later established her own family therapy practice in her home.

Her hobbies included going for rides with her husband, attending her grandchildren’s sporting events, photography, and she was a painter of oil and pastels.

She is survived by her husband Stuart W. Hale Sr. of Albany; her children: Stuart Hale Jr. and his wife, Cathleen Shattuck, of Seattle, Washington, Adam Hale and his companion, Susan Bedusa, of New York, New York, Carol Hale Rowell and her husband, Tim, of Albany, and Jason Hale and his fiancée, Sonya Sackett, of Albany; her grandchildren: Gratia, Alora, Zac, JJ, Shania, Ramic and Courtney; her sisters: Jeanne Hamlin and her husband, John, of Florida, Jill Hunt and her husband, Joseph, of Maine, and Carol Oulton of Maine; and by her dear friend and mentee Stephanie Currier of Coventry.

Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m., on Saturday, May 24, at the Albany Methodist Church, with the Reverend Nathan Strong officiating.

Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to NEKCA, P.O. Box 346, Newport, Vermont 05855.

Erma M. Hathaway, 103, of Barton, formerly of Walton, New York, died peacefully on May 12, 2014, in Barton.

She was born on August 30, 1910, in Downsville, New York, to George and Alice (Hunter) Bull.

On July 14, 1941, she married Orville Hathaway, who predeceased her in 1949.

She graduated from Downsville High School in Downsville, and Oneonta Normal School in Oneonta, New York, where she received her teaching degree. She was employed part time for CPA in Walton and as a leader of the 4-H Club. She was an elementary school teacher in Central, New York for many years.

She was a member of the Walton Methodist Church, assistant to the village clerk in Walton, and for many years school tax collector in Walton.

She loved to listen to music and she was a New York Yankees fan.

She is survived by her children: David Hathaway and his wife, Dorothy, of Barton, and Jane Thorick and her husband, Philip, of Binghamton, New York; her grandchildren: Christopher Hathaway of Shelburne, Michael Hathaway and his wife, Melissa, of Burlington, and Matthew Leete of Bangkok, Thailand; her great-grandchildren: Reid, Iris, and Tyler; and by several nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her siblings: Norris, Homer, Marvin, Raymond, and Milo Bull, and Elsie Wheat.

A celebration of her life was held on May 18, in Barton.

Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the Maple Lane Nursing Home Activities Fund, 60 Maple Lane, Barton, Vermont 05822.

She was born on April 8, 1921, in Lowell, Massachusetts, to Thomas and Mabel (Clark) Shea.

On December 17, 1941, she married Raymond Kelley Sr., who predeceased her in 1989.

She was a custodian for North Country Hospital in Newport for many years and she was also a waitress at the East Side Restaurant in Newport. She was a member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary Post #798, where she was also past president.

Her hobbies included sewing and making crafts and she enjoyed her annual Fourth of July sale in Derby. She also enjoyed crossword puzzles, working in her flower gardens and having a good time.

She is survived by her children: Richard Kelley and his wife, Jean, of Newport, Kimball Kelley of Newport, and Lori Kelley of Newport; her 11 grandchildren: Tina and Robert Favreau, Colleen and Lawrence Percy Jr., Mindy and Kevin Bowen, Melanie and Paul Perkins, Heidi and Scott Flynn, Richard Jr. and Amy Kelley, Ryan and Heather Kelley, Michael and Alyssa Kelley, Justin Kelley, Meagan Kelley and her companion, Aaron Lontine, and Bobbie Jo Kelley; many great- and great-great-grandchildren; her brother Charlie Shea and his wife, Marilee, of California; her sisters: Midge Gill and her husband, Danny Sr., of Tewksbury, Massachusetts, and Millie Carnett and her husband, Nick, of Derry, New Hampshire; her sister-in-law Patricia Shea of Lowell, Massachusetts; and by numerous nieces and nephews.

She was predeceased by her son Raymond Kelley Jr. on September 23, 2008; her brother Thomas Shea; and by her sisters: Kay, Dorothy, Frances and Marion.

Funeral services were held on May 20, in Newport. Interment followed in Pine Grove Cemetery in Newport.

Should friends desire, contributions in her memory may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association of Vermont, 300 Corner Stone Drive, Suite 128, Williston, Vermont 05495.

He died peacefully at the Fletcher Allen Health Center in Burlington after a brief and courageous battle with esophageal cancer. He is now gone to his heavenly father.

Mr. Patenaude was born in Newport on April 10, 1950, to Joseph and Lucille (Fontaine) Patenaude, and grew up on their farm in Holland. He attended Holland Central Schools and North Country Union High School and graduated in the Class of 1970. He attended the Swain School of Design in New Bedford, Massachusetts, and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in graphic design.

He had various jobs, and later had his own company, in the Burlington area, worked in Maine, and finally returned to run a business in his hometown area of Newport.

He was a very talented artist with many wonderful paintings and also produced many local signs. He had a passion for nature and landscape scenes and sold paintings locally and internationally. His paintings have been displayed in many different galleries all over New England and are also on display at Jay Peak and many other places. His artwork will live on in all of his paintings. He was a longtime member of the Saco Bay Artists in Maine.

He was very generous with donations of his paintings to many local worthy causes. He was well known in Newport and the surrounding area.

His signature name was Adrien “Yellow” Patenaude because he loved yellow so much and put it in all of his paintings. He recently finished illustrating a book for the famous poet and author, Jerry Johnson. The name of the book is Noah’s Song and will soon have a special edition coming out in Mr. Patenaude’s memory. There is also a CD with the book with “Noah’s Song” sung by Jon Gailmor.

He is survived by a son, Aaron Patenaude, who is stationed in Fort Drum, New York, and by Aaron’s mother, Carol Forbes, of Leland, North Carolina. He is also survived by his loving girlfriend of 11 years, Patricia Warner of Newport, and her two children: Steve Warner and his wife, Jean, with three children, of Springfield, and Loraine Warner, and her husband Gene Petrella, with two children, of Massachusetts. He is also survived by his parents, Joseph and Lucille (Fontaine) Patenaude; three brothers and five sisters: George Patenaude and his wife, Gale, of Richmond, Diane Forcier and her husband, and John, of Colchester, Susan Letourneau and her husband, Bertrand, of Holland, Marcel Patenaude and his wife, Gaetane, of Holland, Joanne Aulis and her husband, Michael, of Franklin, New Hampshire, Christine Sykes and her husband, Gary, of Norton, Alan Patenaude of Rutland, and Anna Hutchins and her husband, Jeff, of Westford; and by many aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

He was predeceased by his twin sisters, Faith and Hope, who died at birth in 1949.

Funeral services were held on May 17, in Derby Line. Burial followed at St. Edward’s Cemetery in Derby Line.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to FAHC Renal Home Program, 35 Joy Drive, South Burlington, Vermont 05403, in memory of Adrien Patenaude.

A burial service for Rodney V. Beal will be held on Saturday, May 24, at 2 p.m., at Westlook II Cemetery in Glover (go past Westlook Cemetery and turn left on Route 122; Westlook II is the first right).

Mayland Mason

Committal services for Mayland Mason will be held at 1 p.m., on Friday, May 23, at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Newport.

Reynold Paquette

Committal services for Reynold Paquette will be held at 11 a.m., on Saturday, May 24, at St. Theresa’s Cemetery in Orleans.

Donald Griffes

Committal services for Donald Griffes will be held at 2 p.m., on Saturday, May 24, at the Hillside Cemetery in East Charleston.

Eva Vetter

Funeral services for Eva Vetter will be held at 3 p.m., Sunday, May 25, at the Holland Methodist Church, with the Reverend John Genco officiating. Interment will follow in Clark Cemetery in Morgan.

Gloria Boulanger

Committal services for Gloria Boulanger will be held at 11 a.m., on Wednesday, May 28, at St. Mary’s Cemetery in Newport.

Dale Chaffee

Committal services for Dale Chaffee will be held at noon on Saturday, May 24, at the Albany Village Cemetery, with full military honors.

George Niles

Funeral services for George Niles will be held at 11 a.m., on Saturday, May 24, at the Christian Advent Church in Newport Center, with the Reverend Chris Barton officiating. A luncheon will be held immediately following the service at the church.

Gerard and Beatrice Lacroix

Committal services for Gerard and Beatrice Lacroix will be held at 10 a.m., on Saturday, May 24, at the St. Mary’s Cemetery in Newport.

Barbara Maxwell

Committal services for Barbara Maxwell will be held at 3 p.m., on Friday, May 23, at the Derby Center Cemetery.

Janet Urie

Funeral services for Janet Urie will be held at 1 p.m., on Friday, May 23, at the East Craftsbury Presbyterian Church.

Mitchell Rowell

Committal services for Mitchell Rowell will be held at 11 a.m., on Friday, May 23, at the Brownington Center Cemetery, with full military honors.

Ethel Rivers

Graveside service for Ethel Rivers will be held at 1 p.m., on Friday, May 23, at the Lakeside Cemetery in Island Pond, with the Reverend Alan Magoon officiating.

Wilfred Houle

Committal services for the Reverend Wilfred Houle will be held at 10 a.m., on Saturday, May 24, at St. Theresa’s Cemetery in Orleans.

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